220 NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY 



which, when finished, will vie in durability and comfort with 

 Vancouver itself. 



21st. — The large hand-tail pigeon (Colombafasciata) is very- 

 abundant near the river, found in flocks of from fifty to sixty, and 

 perching upon the dead trees along the margin of the stream. 

 They are feeding upon the buds of the balsam poplar ; are very 

 fat, and excellent eating. In the course of the morning, and 

 witlLut leaving the canoe, I killed enough to supply our people 

 with provision for two days. 



24th. — We visited the falls to-day, and while Captain W. was 

 inspecting the vicinity to decide upon the practicability of drawing 

 his seine here, I strolled into the Indian lodges on the bank of the 

 river. Tke poor creaturCvS were all living miserably, and some 

 appeared to be suffering absolute want. Those who were the 

 best supplibd, had nothing more than the fragments of a few 

 sturgeons and lamprey eels, kamas bread, &c. To the roofs of 

 the lodges were hung a number of crooked bladders, filled with 

 rancid seal oil, used as a sort of condiment with the dry and 

 unsavory sturgeon. 



On the Kiakamas river, about a mile below, we found a few 

 lodges belonging to Indians of the Kalapooyah tribe. We ad- 

 dressed them in Chinook, (the language spoken by all those in- 

 habiting tlie Columbia below the cascades,) but they evidently 

 did not comprehend a word, answering in a peculiarly harsh 

 and gutteral language, with which we were entirely unacquainted. 

 However, we easily made them understand by signs that we 

 wanted salmon, and being assured in the same significant man- 

 ner that they had none to sell, we decamped as soon as possible, 

 to escape the fleas and other vermin with which the interior of 

 their wretched habitations were plentifully supplied. We saw 

 here a large Indian cemetery. The bodies had been buried un- 

 der the ground, and each tomb had a board at its head, upon 

 which was rudely painted some strange, uncouth figure. The 



